Things to do in the Berkshires and Southern Vermont for Sept. 1 - 7

Part of the Norman Rockwell Museum's 'Build a Better Baby Carriage' outdoor exhibit, Erika Crofut's 'Birdy Buggy,' is made with vines and trash treasures.

Posted
Wednesday, August 31, 2016 8:18 am

French speakers will gather on the terrace at The Mount in Lenox for coffee, croissants, and French conversation from 8:30-9:30 on Thursday mornings this summer in honor of Edith Wharton's love of France.

The B-52s will perform with Boston Pops Orchestra and conductor Keith Lockhart on Friday, Sept. 2, at Tanglewood.

Through October, open daily 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. or call 802-447-1571 for more information. Admission: $10 adults; $9 seniors and students over 18; free, children and students under age 18. Wheelchair-accessible. Group tours offered for 10 or more individuals.

On view year-round: Grandma Moses Gallery. Largest public collection of paintings by Anna Mary Robertson Moses (1860-1961) in the world.

Through Nov. 6: "Milton Avery's Vermont." A focused look at the work this American modernist created based upon his summers spent in southern Vermont, from the mid-1930s through the mid-1940s.

Works on Paper Gallery

Saturday, Aug. 6-Oct. 30: "Works by Duane Michels."

Regional Artists Gallery

Through Oct. 2: "Something About Summer: Paintings by Mark Barry." Recent paintings by Baltimore and North Bennington painter Mark Barry, who describes his work as "Painting the seemingly ordinary moments in life that aren't ordinary at all."

Textile Gallery

Sept. 3 through Oct. 10: Special exhibition, "1863 Jane Stickle Quilt." The quilt that inspires quilters all over the world will be on its yearly display. The quilt is comprised of 169 five-inch blocks, each in different patterns, containing a remarkable total of 5,602 pieces surrounded by a unique scalloped border.

Open daily May 28 to Oct. 10 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with interpreters in the studio and residence. The residence is closed from 12:30 to 2 p.m. Guided tours are available for groups of 10 or more with advance reservations. Adults, $18; seniors, $17; NTHP members, military, and children ages 13 to 17, $9; children under 13 and Friends of Chesterwood, free; grounds-only admission: adults, $10; children ages 13 to 17, $5.

Through Oct. 10: "Splendor, Myth, and Vision: Nudes from the Prado" exhibition. The Clark is the exclusive venue for "Splendor, Myth, and Vision: Nudes from the Prado," featuring 28 Old Master paintings from the Museo Nacional del Prado that celebrate the role of the nude in Western painting. Twenty-four of the paintings have never before been shown in America.

Through Oct. 10: "Sensing Place: Reflecting on Stone Hill" exhibition. As the ground beneath our feet shifts, worlds change in unexpected ways. "Sensing Place" provides a unique opportunity to reflect on the enduring value of place by exploring Stone Hill, a prominent geological formation at the heart of the Clark's campus.

Lectures/readings

Saturday, Sept. 3: "Sense of Place through Music," 2 p.m., free concert by Leading players of The Orchestra Now and Juilliard, Spencer Terrace at the Lunder Center at Stone Hill.

"Highlights from the Fitzpatrick Quilt Collection," exhibition, through Oct. 30, Brick Dwelling. From the personal quilt collection of Jane Fitzpatrick, bequeathed to the Village by the Fitzpatrick family, owners of the Red Lion Inn and Country Curtains. Free with admission.

Through Sept. 5: Housatonic Valley Art League Annual Members' Art Show. Recent works by HVAL members will be on display and for sale. Show hours: 11 to 5 p.m., Thursday through Monday; 11 to 7 p.m., Friday, Saturday.

Through Sept. 24: Exhibit, "Rediscovered and Reconsidered: Anne Shatas and William Carlson, Sculpture and Ceramics."

Mass MoCA

Galleries are open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day, with extended evening hours to 7 p.m. on Thursdays through Saturdays. Gallery admission is $18 for adults, $16 for veterans and seniors, $12 for students, $8 for children 6 to 16, and free for children 5 and under. Members are admitted free year-round. 1040 Mass MoCA Way, North Adams, Mass. Call 413-662-2111 or visit massmoca.org

"Explode Every Day: An Inquiry into the Phenomena of Wonder." Twenty-three artists work in a wide range of media to explore perception, time and the cosmos to provoke viewers into their own state of wonder.

"Alex Da Corte: Free Roses," on view now. Provocative, puzzling, and visually seductive, in his first museum survey Alex Da Corte's neon-bright, exuberant works merge the languages of abstraction and modern design with banal, off-brand items, ranging from shampoo to soda to tchotchkes and household cleaning supplies.

"Sarah Crowner: Beetle in the Leaves," on view now. Crowner's exhibition at MASS MoCA — her first solo exhibition in a U.S. museum — features both existing paintings and major tile works designed and fabricated for the show. "Federico Uribe: Here Comes the Sun" on view now. The works of Colombian-born, Miami-based artist Uribe, whose magical, colorful sculptural menagerie of animals — crafted out of leather bags, bullets, shoelaces and color pencils — can raise one's spirits, even though some of the imagery is fierce.

"The Space Between": On view now. The Space Between disperses installations by seven artists in interstitial or transitional spaces throughout the campus and beyond to investigate ways to actively inhabit this state of "just passing through."

"Richard Nonas: The Man in the Empty Space," on view now. In one of his most ambitious projects to date, the artist's quietly powerful sculpture will occupy and transform MASS MoCA's Building 5, the museum's signature gallery, nearly a football field in length.

"Anselm Kiefer": On view seasonally, May through November. The long-term exhibition includes Étroits sont les Vaisseaux (Narrow are the Vessels) (2002), an 82-foot long, undulating wave-like sculpture made of cast concrete, exposed rebar, and lead.

"Sol Lewitt: A Wall Drawing Retrospective," on view now. LeWitt — who stressed the idea behind his work over its execution — is widely regarded as one of the leading exponents of Minimalism and Conceptual Art, and is known primarily for his deceptively simple geometric structures and architecturally scaled wall drawings.

"Franz West: Les Pmmes d'Adam," on view seasonally, May through November. A monumental outdoor sculptural ensemble on extended loan from the Hall Art Foundation that is infused with humor and a particular delight in visual and linguistic puns.

"Barbara Takenaga: Nebraska," on view now. Takenaga creates a new work for a wall in the Hunter Hallway at MASS MoCA. Known for her small, labor-intensive, exuberant abstractions composed of matrix-like swirling patterns of dots, here Takenaga translates her meticulous handcrafted easel-sized work to wallpaper.

"Michael Oatman: All Utopias Fell," on view seasonally, May through November. A project in three parts: The Shining, The Library of the Sun, and Codex Solis.

"Natalie Jeremijenko: Tree Logic," on view now. In Tree Logic, the art of the piece is not found in its condition at any single point in time, but in the change of the trees over time. When inverted, the six trees in this experiment still grow away from the earth and towards the sun.

"Stephen Vitiello: All Those Vanished Engines," on view now. Starting with the inherent resonance of the pipes and metal drums in the Mass MoCA Boiler House, Vitiello composed a layered sound installation that can be explored throughout the building.

"Christina Kubisch: Clocktower Project," on view now. The bells and beautiful brass clockworks share the tower with solar panels, electronic sound system, and a computer with Kubisch's unique program on its flash disc.

Friday, Sept., 2: Meet Rockwell's Models. Find out what it was like to pose for America's favorite illustrator from Rockwell models, who will share their personal experiences. 2:30 p.m. Free with museum admission. Friday Night at the Movies: "American Graffiti," 5:30 p.m. Followed by an audience Q&A. Free with museum admission; film only $10, $5 for museum members and children ages 12 and younger.

Saturday, Sept. 3 - Sunday, Sept. 4: Introduction To Welding. This workshop will focus on an overview of welding techniques and equipment. Participants under 18 must have a parent/guardian present. No previous experience required

Saturday, Sept. 3 - Sunday, Sept. 4: Beginner To Intermediate Blacksmithing – Twists. Students will learn a wide variety of twist styles that they can later incorporate into their projects. Participants under 18 must be accompanied by a parent/guardian present. Introduction to Blacksmithing or comparable experience

Friday, Sept. 2: Gallery opening for work of local quilt artist Karen Pratt, 5 to 8 p.m. The quilt collection is a chronological journey of her entries into the Hoffman Challenge. Music and refreshments, as well as demonstrations of the Makerspace's facilities. Exhibit on view through Sept. 30.

DANCE

Thursday, Sept. 1: Parsons Dance Class with the Company. 10 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Class with dancers of the acclaimed Parsons Dance Company for students of all levels ages 13 to 18. $15.

FAIRS, FESTIVALS AND FAMILY FUN

21st Annual Garlic Herb Festival (Garlic Fest)

Saturday, Sept. 3 - Sunday, Sept. 4: Garlic Fest, which has drawn up to 10,000 visitors in past years, will have everything from garlic ice cream to garlic jelly, pickled garlic, roasted garlic, garlic braids and plain garlic bulbs of every kind for sale and sampling. Experts will also give demonstrations on how to plant, braid and cook garlic. 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. $6 adult on line purchase (+ service fee); $8 adult at gate; $2 child 12 and under online and at gate; $10 adult two-day pass online and at gate. Camelot Village, Bennington, Vt. lovegarlic.com, 802-447-3311

Adams Quaker Meeting House Tours

Maple Street Cemetery, Adams.

Sundays through Oct. 9: Quaker Meeting House, built in 1782 by the East Hoosuck Meeting of the Society of Friends, essentially unchanged since its construction. The place of worship of the family of Susan B. Anthony, born in Adams in 1820. Free tours by members of the Adams Historical Society and the Adams Historical Commission. Open 1 to 4 p.m.

Different programs each Saturday through mid-October. Local residents welcome visitors into their work spaces — barns, kitchens, farms, studios, shops — where they ply their professions and de-mystify the secrets of rural life. $17. Tours depart from the BEHOLD! Station and Store, 438 Rte. 20, New Lebanon, N.Y. www.BeholdNewLebanon.org. 518-720-7265

Bennington Free Library

101 Silver St., Bennington Vt. 802-442-9051

Now through Sept. 30: Wall Works: Art at the Library, Art Show and Sale featuring Michael Horwitz's illustrations from Children's Choice, a weekly newspaper column for kids regionally syndicated from 1985-1991.

Tuesdays: WeeMuse Littlest Learners, 10:30 a.m., play and learn every week in this fun, interactive new program for children ages 6-18 months, with stories, songs, sign language, and exercise. Caregivers share stories and information from collective parenting experiences. Included with regular museum admission.

Fridays: WeeMuse Adventures, 11 a.m., children 18 months to 3 years old explore the aquarium and other galleries, included with regular museum admission.

Saturdays: Chow Time in the Aquarium, 12:30 p.m., lend a hand in the preparation of meals for the creatures that live in the aquarium, included with regular museum admission.

Columbia County Fair

32 Church Street, Chatham NY 12037

Through Sept. 5: Columbia County Fair. Performance by country music band Lonestar, Sept. 4. 7 p.m. in front of the grandstand.

Crane Museum and Center for the Paper Arts

Off West Housatonic Street, Dalton, Mass.

413-684-6380

Monday through Friday, 1-5 p.m.

Trace the history of Crane from its Liberty Paper Mill in 1770 to becoming today's technological leader in banknote security technology.

Through October: Tours several times each afternoon. Papermaking demonstrations Monday through Thursday. Free.

Friday-Sunday, Sept. 3-5: Musicians, artists, and dancers, join activists and organizers for a celebration of art as an agent of peace. Doors open at 11 a.m. Local restaurants, breweries, wineries. Tickets: campkinderland.org/festival/tickets. Free day admission for children with a guardian.

Saturday, Sunday, Sept. 3, 4: Festival of Books, 11th annual extravaganza of all things literary, including a giant used book sale and readings, book signings, and a children's program. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Edith Wharton's historic estate. Tour the house and gardens, enjoy lunch on the terrace, shop in the book store, or just relax and enjoy the surroundings. Admission valid for 7 days, kids free every day.

FILM

Saturday, Sept. 3: A visit with Douglas Trumbull, visionary American film director, special effects creator and inventor. 4:30 p.m. Trumbull designed the special photographic effects of "2001: A Space Odyssey," "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," "Star Trek: The Motion Picture," "Blade Runner" and "The Tree of Life." Norman Rockwell Museum

TALKS

Bard College at Simon's Rock

84 Alford Road, Great Barrington, Mass.

Monday, Sept. 5: Fall 2016 Proseminar Lecture Series on the theme of "Who the People: Punctuating Politics in the USA, Being America in the World." Speaker: Prof. Saidiya Hartman, Columbia University, "The Dead Book Revisited." 5 p.m., Blodgett House

THEATER

Through Sept. 3: "Tribes" by Nina Raine. A young man, born deaf into an unconventional family, meets a young woman on the brink of deafness and finally understands what it means to speak up for himself. Evening performances: Tuesday and Wednesday at 7 p.m.; Thursday-Saturday at 8 p.m. Matinees: Sunday at 5 p.m.; Wednesdays and Fridays at 2 p.m. Tickets: Starting at $20.

Through Sept. 4: World premiere, musical "Broadway Bounty Hunter." A 60-ish-old unemployed actor, Annie, is asked to become a bounty hunter and capture a South American drug lord. Evening performances: Tuesday-Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Matinees: Sunday, Thursday and Saturday at 3 p.m. Tickets: Starting at $20.

Through Sept. 3: "Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill" by Lanie Robertson. A vivid look into the life and times of jazz great Billie Holiday. Evening performances: Wednesday through Sunday, 7:30 p.m. Matinees: Sunday and Wednesday, 2 p.m. $20 to $60.

Sept. 2-18: World premiere, "The Consul, The Tramp & Amerca's Sweetheart" by John Morogiello. Charles Chaplin's film masterpiece, "The Great Dictator" and Germany's attempts to prevent the movie from being made. Evening performances: Wednesday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Matinees: Thursday and Sunday at 2 p.m. $12-$37.

Through Sept. 4: "Or" by Liz Duffy Adams. The bawdy 1660s look a lot like modern day in this playful comedy about one chaotic night in the life of the poet, spy, and first female playwright, Aphra Behn. Evening performance: Sept. 4 at 7:30 p.m. Matinee: Sept. 3 at 2 p.m.

Through Sept. 4: "The Wedding Singer." He's the life of the party until his own fiancée leaves him at the altar. Based on the hit Adam Sandler movie, the show is composed of '80s pop hits that will leave you singing and dancing in the aisles. Sept. 1, 2, 3 at 8 p.m., Sept. 3 at 4 p.m. and Sept. 4 at 2 p.m.

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